FOR fans of ITV’s ‘The Voice UK’ it is all about seeing those four judges press the big red button and discovering a hidden talent, but working behind the scenes to provide contestants with a little extra confidence is hairstylist Craig Chapman from Launceston.

For the last three weeks Craig, of Craig Chapman Hair Design in the White Hart Arcade, Launceston, has been working alongside others in the industry to prepare contestants, and their hair, for their first appearances on The Voice UK and on the show’s official advert.

He spent six days working with contestants ahead of their ‘blind auditions’ in front of the four judges, will.i.am, Jennifer Hudson, Sir Tom Jones and Gavin Rossdale, and is now preparing for a trip up to London at the beginning of February to style the contestants hair ready for their press and media shots.

Craig said: “It has all been very exciting for us. The blind auditions began on Saturday, but everything you see before the live shows was pre-recorded at around the end of October, beginning of November.”

It was thanks to his agency team, sisters Penny and Jackie Tyson of Alchemy Artist Team, that he was given the opportunity to style the ‘soon-to-be-famous’ contestants on The Voice UK.

Craig said: “Jackie is the hair and make-up director for the show and I was asked to come along and be lead hairdresser. The agency are funding all the make-up and I am the only hairdresser on their books so if an event or job like this comes up, which requires hairstyling as well as make-up, then they generally get me and my team in.”

During the pre-recorded section Craig called on the help of four of his industry friends from London, Manchester and Northampton. However, it will be a team of four from his own salon in Launceston who will accompany him during the final stages of the competition.

He said: “It is so cool, we are all very excited at the salon to have been given the opportunity to bring our creative flare to The Voice UK — it is also a great opportunity for my girls to get out there and really get a feel for the industry.

“I put it to my team first and asked those who work in my salon if they wanted to become part of the team. I would love to take them all and give every one of them a chance to join in but under strict instruction of ITV I am only allowed to bring a few of the same people, I can’t chop and change throughout the show.

“However, I am so pleased to be able to bring my team of four; creative director Kayleigh DeVries, senior stylist Jennifer Kempthorne, stylist Jess Murrain and my niece and junior stylist Beth Chapman — it is a fantastic opportunity not just for me but for them as well, I am so pleased I get to share this experience with them!”

Previously, Craig has gained notoriety in the television world for hair styling and in the past has worked with The X Factor, the Brit Awards and the BBC Music Awards, he added: “I have even worked with Taylor Swift, which was really cool!”

Speaking about his role on the show, Craig said: “We will mainly be looking after the contestants, I am well known for being an Afro styling specialist and would have loved to get my hands on Jennifer Hudson’s hair, but unfortunately she had a team of four flown in so, no luck for me there — maybe one day!”

Explaining how the process works, Craig said during the first section of the show, the ‘blind auditions’, they weren’t allowed to do much to the hair as ITV wanted a natural look and for contestants ‘to look like themselves’. Craig said: “We didn’t do too much for the blind auditions, we groomed them a little, bit of hairspray, a de-fluff and maybe some shine spray but other than that they were left looking a bit more natural.”

The next stage of the competition is ‘the battles’, where contestants are given a ‘bit of a spruce up’. Craig explained: “For the battles we were told contestants needed to ‘look like a better version of themselves’, we gave the gents a bit of a groom, no full hair cuts just a tidy up, and the women the same, few curling tongs came out and the straightening irons, but nothing too much — basically we went for a ‘Saturday night version’ of themselves.”

Now that the first section of filming has taken place Craig must set his sights on the live shows, with hairstyle planning well underway.

He must create hairstyles that not only make a bold statement and show off his own creative flare but create something that will make the contestant feel confident and comfortable when they step into the spotlight and sing live for the first time — not an easy balance to strike.

Craig said: “I have just started making plans for the finalists — I know who are in which judge’s teams already because that section has already been pre-recorded, which is pretty exciting, but I can’t tell you who the finalists are you’ll just have to watch and see!

“It will really get interesting when the ‘five biggies’ [finalists] come out as we get to really go in their and fully change their look, that will take a bit of planning though!”

For the live show Craig must plan a look for each of the contestants that is a ‘super groomed look’ or as he put it an ‘uber Saturday night look’ for them.

“Fundamentally we need to make the contestants feel amazing and confident as they go out onto that stage. I know there are one or two girls on there who will be more than happy for me to create a more expressive hairstyle and something bold, but there are also those girls who will want something a little more understated and simple. I know already that some of the men are going to let me give them a really sharp hairstyle, which I’m quite excited about too!”

Craig now only has a few weeks to begin preparing his hairstyles and will soon be travelling to London to speak with the ITV bosses about the direction he will take with the contestant’s hair.

Craig said he and his team have received ‘phenomenal support’ from may local people, adding: “It has been great to see everyone on Facebook wishing us well, there have been so many positive comments and we are really proud to be taking part in The Voice UK. It will be great for my team to get exposure but it isn’t just exposure for me and the salon but for Launceston as well. We are very proud to have stayed true to our roots in Cornwall and to be taking on such a big contract is fantastic.

“I have to say a massive thank you to Penny and Jackie Tyson of Alchemy Artist Team, if it wasn’t for them I would have to be living up in London and not in my home town of Launceston! I am so excited for these next few weeks and look forward to getting these hair designs done!”

The Voice UK was first aired on Saturday, and this year will have five weeks of live shows. Look out for future episodes to see the hair creations Craig and his team come up with.